Dan Bailey (1904-1982), a humble angler, found joy in quiet exploration and the art of fly fishing, particularly on hidden streams. Unlike trophy hunters, he wasn't one to brag about catches. His passion was the experience, connecting with nature and the thrill of the chase. Though details of his life are private, his legacy lives on through his Montana fly shop, established in 1938.

Beyond business, Bailey championed wild trout. He co-founded Montana's first Trout Unlimited chapter and fought a two-decade battle against a dam threatening the Yellowstone River. Recognizing the value of healthy fisheries, Bailey advocated for conservation through groups like the Sierra Club. His dedication earned him a "Dan Bailey Fishing Day" in 1982, a lasting tribute to his work protecting Montana's waters.

A nationally and internationally recognized fly tier, fly fisher and fly-fishing writer, Mike Valla has been fly-fishing and tying trout flies for over 55 years. Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University where he studied Fisheries Biology and Natural Resources. He studied for four years at Georgetown University where he obtained a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Now retired from the Medical/Dental staff at Glens Falls Hospital in the Adirondacks of New York, where he practiced public health dentistry for indigent children, Mike spends much of his time writing about fly fishing.

Mike has written numerous feature-length magazine articles for American Fly Fishing, Fly Fisherman, Fly Tyer and The American Fly Fisher. He has been an invited speaker locally, nationally and internationally. Mike is the 4th recipient of the prestigious Poul Jorgensen Golden Hook Award for his contributions to the art of fly tying. His books include Fly Fishing Guide to New York State, Favorite Flies for the Catskills, Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies, The Founding Flies, Tying the Founding Flies, Tying and Fishing Bucktails and other Hairwings, The Classic Streamer Fly Box, The Classic Wet-Fly Box and, The Classic Dry Fly Box. He is a former member of the CFFCM Board of Directors.

Frank Moore (Jan. 30, 1923-Jan 23, 2022) was an exemplary model of all a fly fisher should be as a sportsman and citizen. Along with his wife Jeanne (Dec. 20, 1925 - ), they leave a lasting legacy of achievements and contributions to the sport and the environment, not just in their native Oregon but nationally.

In 1957, Frank and Jeanne built the Steamboat Inn on the North Umpqua River about 40 miles upstream from Roseberg, Oregon. Steamboat was a mecca for the world’s most capable fly fishermen, eager to accept the challenge of its difficult waters. Known as Citizen Conservationists and advocates for land and stream, their work led to major preservation and reduced decimation of not only their “home waters” but set a national example of what deforestation and development restrictions could do to preserve watersheds and fisheries.

The effectiveness and extent of their efforts are well reflected in the steady stream of prestigious honors and awards they received from a grateful conservation and sporting community. Frank is remembered as an expert angler, especially on “his” steelhead but also as a patient teacher who was generous in sharing his knowledge and techniques.

Jim Green (1920-2004) was one of the most influential fly-casting instructors of the 20th century, teaching his beautifully disciplined style to generations of grateful students. He won the international casting championship, the first of numerous such honors, in Paris at 17. In 1947 he made a then-world-record two-handed cast of 206 feet.

In his productive career, Jim worked with R.L. Winston, the Sunset Line Company, Sevenstrand, Fenwick, and Sage. His pocket guide Fly Casting from the Beginning (1971) and an instructional casting film used by Fenwick and and L.L. Bean introduced countless anglers to the sport’s skills. A pioneer in creation of new fly lines, he also developed the milestone Fenwick Feralite ferrule, and was instrumental in the

creation of the first graphite fly rod, the historic Fenwick HMG series.

Bob’s contributions to the sport of fly fishing over the past 65+ years have been immense. From running the Paul H. Young rod building shop, to starting and running his own business of building fine bamboo rods, Bob has made a lasting impact on fly fishing. He has also been an outstanding advocate for cold water conservation, contributing well over $500,000 to protecting our resources in his lifetime through various charitable events.

His encyclopedic recollections of the past, from his friendships with Geroge Griffiths, Art Neumann, Casey Westfall, and the founding of Trout Unlimited are invaluable first person resource accounts we all should experience.

John “Jack” Atherton (1900-1952)

“Jack” was a nationally renowned artist presented by prominent museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His popularity also graced publications such as the Saturday Evening Post and Fortune magazines.

Jack’s wife, expert fly fisherwoman Maxine Atherton wrote “…in addition to his skills as an accomplished artist and fine sportsman John Atherton was a romantic realist.”

As a renowned fly tier Atherton, combined his two obsessions fly fishing and painting. His most famous axiom, “If you look closely at a live dun you will notice that its coloring is impressionistic and is made up of many small variations in tone such as you would find in the paintings of Monet, Renoir or other impressionist school of art".  Not surprising that Norman Rockwell was a close friend. “The Fly and the Fish” (1951), Atherton’s only book, introduced an atypical methodology to styles of the period.

Jack’s unique fly-tying pallet consisted of various natural materials such as speckled feathers and seal fur.   Atherton’s wonderfully descriptive lexicon for his simple yet sophisticated philosophy embraced the attributes of “glossiness”, “sparkle”, “shimmer”, “tone”, et al. 

His trout, steelhead, and salmon flies enhanced the illusion of life.

Frank Mele (1911-1996)

A first generation Italian-American, Frank Mele (1911-1996) was a child prodigy with the viola playing for the Rochester Symphony by the age of 18 and later with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Modern Art String Quartet. As an author he was known through his works in the Quarterly Review of Literature and his books Polpetto and Small in the Eye of the/a River.

As a fly fisher he was a founder of CATSKILL WATERS, a coalition that battled New York City and their volatile fluctuating water releases, that brought stabilized flows to the Catskills and turned its tailwaters into a world-class fishery.

According to author, publisher, and past Hall of Fame inductee Nick Lyons; “Frank was perhaps the most unique and important fly fisher I have known in the half century I spent writing and publishing books and articles in the field.” Mele’s angling friends included Preston Jennings, Art Flick, Harry and Elsie Darbee, and Syracuse rod maker Dan Brenan. Rod makers Jim Payne and Walt Carpenter were also close. Mele’s knowledge of cane rods was extensive, and his expertise was required by Ernest Schwiebert and Martin Keane when they did research for their works. His first edition of 110 copies of Small in the Eye of the River is a collector’s jewel and can be found in the libraries of The Fly Fisher’s Club in London and The Anglers’ Club of New York.

With New York attempting to save drinking water, the city abused the Catskill tailwaters by running the valves fully open or maddeningly closed. Summer releases at times on the East Branch of the Delaware River were 18.5 cubic feet per second from Pepacton Reservoir and 23.1 cubic feet per second from Cannonsville Reservoir to the West Branch of the Delaware while water temperatures soared into the 80s. Winter releases were a quarter of those values. Fish suffered and were stranded, several major fish kills occurred on the Esopus, and anglers started to rebel. During the winter of 1974-1975, Mele rose to the fight and formed a coalition of anglers, conservationists, journalists, scientists, and politicians called CATSKILL WATERS. CATSKILL WATERS took the fight to Albany and during June 1976 the state government voted by one vote for the Department of Environmental Conservation to manage the reservoirs. The result of this has been controlled, stabilized flows that have made the Catskill tailwaters a world class fishery.

Frank Mele passed away 16 November 1996 and friends released his ashes into the East Branch of the Delaware on 6 April 1997. An honorary bench resides at the park by the covered bridge in Downsville permitting anglers to forever watch the rising trout in his beloved river while scrutinizing the releases from the dam.

Willard H. Godfrey, Jr. (b.1938)

Will’s lifelong commitment to angling is reflected in years of service, a significant impact in conservation of western rivers and a long list of awards, accomplishments and appointments.

Born in Salt Lake City, Will began fly fishing as a boy, when he and his dad floated dry flies in Colorado’s Gunnison River. In college, he started guiding for Bud Lilly, owner of the Trout Shop in West Yellowstone, Montana, where he concentrated on Idaho’s Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

He earned a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in agriculture economics and started a career in academia. But he couldn’t shake the love of guiding and started a summer side hustle outfitting anglers on the Henry’s Fork. That soon grew into a full-time career with three fly shops and a far-flung outfitting business that catered to anglers across eastern Idaho and in faraway destinations like New Zealand, British Columbia, Canada and the Canadian Maritimes.

He was a charter member of the Federation of Fly Fishers, now Fly Fishers International (FFI), and helped start fly fishing clubs in Boise and other Idaho cities – Pocatello, Twin Falls and St. Anthony – while climbing the volunteer ranks of the organization. He eventually served as vice president of the group. Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus appointed Godfrey to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission in the 1970s where he and his fellow commissioners pushed against currents within the Idaho Fish and Game Department and designated several rivers like the Lochsa, Selway and Henry’s Fork of the Snake River as wild fish sanctuaries.

For the past 20 years he has worked to help the recovery of threatened and endangered anadromous fish in Idaho's Clearwater, Snake and Salmon Rivers. His work currently focuses on wild steelhead. Will has advocated for special steelhead regulations, improvements and protections of wild steelhead spawning habitat, and the elimination of gill nets in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

Arnold Gingrich (1903-1976)

In 1933, at the age of 29, Gingrich founded Esquire magazine. It boasts of having published 15 Nobel and 50 Pulitzer prize winners - more than any other magazine in the world. Esquire, Inc., grew under Gingrich's leadership to a diversified corporation with operating groups in the fields of education & leisure in addition to publishing. A scholar, author, and intrepid trout fisherman, Gingrich guided the editorial policies of the magazine for 43 years.

One of Gingrich's first "catches" among authors was Ernest Hemingway. An ardent fan, Gingrich was buying a Hemingway first edition in a used bookshop one day when the author walked in. He immediately signed Hemingway as a contributor to the magazine. The funds from Hemingway’s first contribution helped him procure his beloved and often written about fishing boat, “Pilar.”

In his later years, Gingrich used his pen and rod to weave himself into the very fabric of the history of fly fishing. Hardly a single name of note has been omitted from his pages. So much so that it’s often difficult to tell who he actually knew and who he merely admired. He was close friends with Lee Wulff and Preston Jennings, and quoted Ed Hewitt constantly. He was the best sort of storyteller in that regard. By today’s standards we might call him a name-dropper, but as all four of his fly fishing books were published within nine years (1965-1974) his works stand as both a reflective account of the golden age of the Catskills paired with the region’s excitement regarding the blossoming of the mid-century tailwaters. He fished and wrote about the Esopus extensively, including an account of using LaBranche’s Pink Lady exclusively on its waters for a full season in the early 50s. He kept meticulous records and reported in hindsight that his daily average on the mighty Esopus was “only 6.5 trout per day.” A far cry from his 13.5 fish average in the season of 1956.

Nevertheless, Gingrich was a staunch traditionalist at heart who shunned the invention of nylon leaders and described the modernist writings of folks like Schweibert and Ovington as merely “okay.” He preferred trout on light tackle and shied away from the sirens of the salt who pulled so many of our Catskill heroes toward the larger prey of the Atlantic. Like many of us, he regarded the writings of the giants as gospel, and honored them all in his own published accounts of fishing, of the classic flies, and of rods not made of graphite. Gingrich’s books helped enshrine the history and heritage of fly fishing to his mass audience at a time when the advent of more sophisticated fishing gear threatened to forever silence our traditions. His books stand up as both great storytelling and unique historical accounts of the history of fly fishing. His temperament and joy make Arnold Gingrich a welcome addition to the Catskill Fly Fishing Hall of Fame.

Samuel Phillippe  1801 - 1877

Solon Phillippe 1842 - 1925

Pennsylvania born Samuel Phillippe, a highly skilled gunsmith, violin maker and avid fisherman, believed that the imported rods from Great Britain were overly cumbersome and unwieldy, thus launching his quest to perfect the split bamboo rod. James Henshall would write in his Book of the Black Bass (1881), “Old Sam Phillippe knew just what a trout fly rod should be…” Thaddeus Norris the “Izaak Walton of America”, as well as “Uncle Thad”, was, besides a fishing friend, a noted tackle maker and rod maker as well. One can only imagine their compelling collaborations. An original Samuel Phillippe rod (none known to exist) is considered the “Holy Grail” to many collectors. Samuel’s son, Solon, joined the company a few years before Samuel’s death in 1877. Collectors have argued that Solan’s magnificent fly rods, adorned with elaborately carved grips, ferrules, rod seats and butts, and exceptionally crafted reels, have exceeded the artistry of his father.

Steve Raymond, a native of Bellingham, Washington, was born to parents who were both fly fishers and started him fishing at an early age. He later made friends with three of the great pioneers of Northwest fly fishing, Enos Bradner, Letcher Lambuth and Ralph Wahl, who became his fishing mentors. He also joined their club, the Washington Fly Fishing Club in Seattle, later serving as its president. He was a charter member of the Federation of Fly Fishermen, editor of its magazine, The Flyfisher, and later became an honorary life member of the FFF (now called  Fly Fishing International). 

A University of Washington graduate, Raymond served as a Navy officer, then embarked on a 30-year-career as a reporter, editor and manager at the Seattle Times. He also wrote frequently for other publications, most notably Sports Illustrated and Fly Fisherman, and his work eventually appeared in at least 24 magazines. He is author of a dozen fly-fishing books, including two award-winning classics, The Year of the Angler and The Year of the Trout, both celebrating the awe and privilege of fishing for beautiful wild fish in beautiful wild places. Other titles include Steelhead Country, The Estuary Flyfisher, Rivers of the Heart, Blue Upright, Nervous Water and Trout Quintet.

Of his books, Fly Fisherman magazine said: “Steve Raymond long ago established himself as an important literary voice and environmental conscience for contemporary fly fishing. He is the kind of regional writer whose fidelity to what he knows makes him universal.” He also reviewed fishing books for several publications over a period of 35 years, and his work was published in nine anthologies. His manuscripts and papers are now part of special collections at the Western Washington University libraries in Bellingham.

After his retirement from the Seattle Times, Raymond became editor of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters magazine until its sale. He received the Roderick Haig-Brown Award for significant contributions to angling literature, the ”Angul” Award for “outstanding contributions to the Heritage and Preservation of the Arte and Science of Fly Fishing in British  Columbia,” the Letcher Lambuth Angling Craftsman and Tommy Brayshaw Awards from the Washington Fly Fishing Club, and the Gil Nyerges Award from the Whidbey Island Fly Fishing Club. He represented Washington State’s fly-fishing clubs in negotiations with President Carter’s Task Force on Northwest Fisheries, seeking settlement of the sometimes violent conflict over local tribal fishing rights, and served as Western vice president of the Museum of American Fly Fishing. He also curated a highly successful exhibit on the history of Northwest fly fishing at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art in his home town of Bellingham. 

Though he has fished all over the world, Raymond’s first love has always been the trout, steelhead and salmon of Pacific Northwest waters. He pioneered fly fishing for winter steelhead in the saltwater estuaries of Puget Sound and introduced the now popular tactic of using skated dry flies to catch sea-run cutthroat and coho salmon in those estuaries. He also is originator of several Northwest trout and steelhead fly patterns.

Raymond and his wife, Joan—now a “retired” fly fisher, but a good one!—reside on Whidbey Island in northern Puget Sound.

Charlie, an author, innovator, and fly designer of national importance was born and raised in Schuylkill Haven, a small town in rural eastern Pennsylvania where his fervor for fly fishing commenced upon catching a nine-inch brookie.

 After honorably serving his country in the Korean conflict, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Penn State, then his Master of Administration from the University of Scranton.  Charlie taught at Penn State in Continuing Education for over 25 years taking early retirement after completing his first book “Meeting and Fishing the Hatches”.  

 He was a kind, humble, unpretentious, and generous person teaching and inspiring thousands of anglers through his many books, articles, videos, macro aquatic insect photography, and classes.  His “Pennsylvania Trout Streams and their Hatches” became the ultimate guidebook for his home state, selling over 100,000 copies.  

After reading a fisheries biologist’s report about trout being attracted to the color blue, he experimented soon creating his most well-known fly, The Patriot. This extremely effective red, white, and blue dry fly has become one of the best-selling attractor patterns across the nation.

He was a member of the Outdoor Writers Association and PA Outdoor Writers Associations when inducted into the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Hall of Fame, joining many of luminaries such as George Harvey, Joe Humphries and Charlie Fox.

Charlie was an elite practitioner, promotor, writer, teacher, and amateur entomologist.

Born in Canterbury, Kent, England in January 1953, Charles started fishing at the age of three (perch). (Is everyone’s first fish a perch?) He attended art colleges in Canterbury and Medway, receiving a Diploma in Art and Design, and started journalism and art work on natural history subjects and angling at local newspapers within the Kent Messenger Group at the age of 19. 

Charles fished a lot - on rivers, but increasingly on still waters - both for tench, pike roach! He gained the Association of Professional Game Angling Instructors qualification during this period. In 1986 Charles pursued a full-time career in both art and journalism and illustrated his first book for Bill Currie’s Days and Nights of Game Angling and increased contributions for eMap GPS angling titles. He also illustrated for the then-Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and gained the prestigious Society of Wildlife Artists accolade.

During the 1980s and 90s, Charles wrote two books: the critically acclaimed Dark Pools, concerning chalk stream fly fishing, and the Sotheby’s Guide to Fly Fishing For Trout. He also crafted the smaller accompanying volume, The Fly Fisher’s Catch, widely used in both the UK and USA by newcomers as a comprehensive guide to the sport.

In the new millenium, he became the Angling Director for the Countryside Alliance, creating the groundbreaking Water Matters pack dedicated to taking fishing into the classroom for schoolchildren aged 11 to 14.

Most recently, Charles received the FFF Ambassadors Award - a very rare honor - for growing the sport worldwide, and also gained accreditation in European and USA FFF Masters Fly-Casting. He also demonstrates fly fishing and fly casting throughout the world and fishes in as many places as he can. Slovenia, Italy, Denmark, Africa, Czech Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, and of course the UK and the USA all have been kind.

Charles was part of Team Sage for nearly 15 years and has assisted companies like Shakespeare, Rio, Fulling Mill, and more recently Simms and recently designed a best selling ange of fly lines for Wychwood.. He also enjoyed being able to write for all the UK’s fly fishing magazines: Trout & Salmon, Trout Fisherman, Stillwater Trout Angler, Total/Today’s Fly Fisher, Fly Fishing & Fly Tying and other publications. He currently writes for The Field magazine and is in the throes of constructing a new book.

He continues to fish and paint unabated and write for Fly Fishing and Fly Tying magazine each month and also is angling columnist for The Field. And very proudly, he is currently Director of Fishing 4 Schools, an initiative he started that takes angling into schools, working with young people from varied backgrounds. And to cap it all, he has been made Director of the national England Youth Fly Fishing Team. In recent years and fished as part of the England Squad in the last Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships held in New Zealand.

William Taylor was born in Paterson New Jersey to Robert and Ellen Taylor (ca. 1890) & married Anna and together they ran a confectionary store in Paterson, NJ.

About 1920 Bill bought the book, "The Idyll of the Split Bamboo" by Dr. George Parker Holden. In 1925 Bill rode his motorcycle to upstate New York, (Highland Mills) to E.F. Payne Rod Co, to purchase some bamboo. Jim Payne refused to sell Bill bamboo as he was riding a motorcycle with a sidecar. Frank Oram, who was a partner in E.F. Payne, waited until Mr. Payne left for the day and gathered several culms of cane and other supplies for him and sent him on his way. Bill placed the cane in the sidecar and went on his way down Route 17, back to Paterson.

Two years later, Bill, was able to successfully design and build his first fly rod from that cane. Bill christened the fly rod by casting and catching a trout on his first outing on the Wallkill River. (This first fly rod is currently housed in the Joan Wulff exhibit, as Bill gifted the fly rod to her).

Bill's fly rods were built for power and accuracy. He eventually incorporated a thumb piece to ensure increased power to the cast. Bill would meticulously work on each fly rod and would de-assemble the rod if it did not meet his expectations. When he finally approved of the development, he would stamp the insignia “Taylor Made” at the base of the fly rod. Bill was a member of the Paterson Fly Casting Club and traveled across the United States competing in fly casting competitions, competing in his last event in 1969 in Cincinnati, finishing 7th. In 1951, Bill competed in the National Association of Angling and Casting Clubs Tournament finishing with a cast of 143 feet for 3rd place. In 1957 in Barberton Ohio Bill cast 153 feet for average with the longest cast of 157 feet for 8th place overall.

Throughout his life he would assist and coach individuals using “Taylor Made” fly rods. These individuals consisted of Johnny Dieckman and Gene Andregg, but his most famous student was Joan Salvato whom he met when she was 18 years old in Paterson New Jersey. Bill’s fly rod design was used as a pattern for rods designed by Charles Ritz, and made by Pezon et Michel in France. Bill moved from Paterson to his nephew Roland Taylor's home in Union Center, NY in the late 60’s at the age of 77, where he continued to craft fly rods, as well as tie flies.

"As a young boy, my brother and I, remember him standing on a platform casting for hours. He would sit in his room and shave down cane day after day, until he felt it was ready to be assembled. Even upon assembly the rod needed to pass Bill's tests to receive the “Taylor Made” stamp of approval." -Dave and John Taylor (Bill's great nephews)

Bill was proud of his accomplishments but did not brag about them.

"As a young boy I can remember him speaking of several things, one being that he had the opportunity to fish with another of today’s inductees, Ted Williams, and the other was working with Joan Salvato." -John Taylor (Bill's great nephew)

Bill passed away at the age of 88 in upstate New York and enjoyed the art of fly-casting and all that it included right up to his death.

Ted Williams! Even the name inspires awe! "The last of the 400 hitters," "The Kid" and bearing other nicknames, he was regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history.

Born August 30, 1918, named Theodore Samuel Williams, and passed on July 5, 2002, Ted was also a great fly fisher. Williams believed that there were three fish worthy of any true sportsman: tarpon, bonefish and Atlantic salmon. After he retired, following a 19 year career in baseball, mostly at the Boston Red Sox, interrupted for periods of military service in World War 2 and the Korean War, he spent time between a home on the Miramichi River where he salmon fished and Islamorada, Florida where he sought tarpon and bonefish.

Williams called the Atlantic salmon "the greatest of game fish" according to John Underwood, who in 1982 coauthored with Ted a book entitled Ted Williams Fishing "The Big Three."

Ted Williams made what is thought to be the first commercial sports endorsement in history when he made a deal with Sears Roebuck (brokered by another HOF member, Ted Rogowski) and promoted sales of fishing tackle, thus encouraging millions of persons to take up the sport.

For being an icon of fly fishing and for inspiring countless anglers, Ted Williams is now inducted into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame.

Photo Credit Jackson Hole News & Guide

The fly fishing bug from Ed Zern’s cartoon-filled Catskills-classic, "To Hell With Fishing," infected Paul Bruun in the 1950’s. Although hundreds of miles from any trout stream, discovering two 9-ft. bamboos and a Medalist reel in his dad’s Miami Beach garage propelled the youngster to nearby Biscayne Bay seawalls to cast crudely tied bucktails and streamers.

In 1955 “Big Paul,” a veteran newspaper man, introduced his 6th grader to fly fishing for trout during a two-month Western road trip that included Green, Madison, Truckee and Merced River outings. Visiting New York the next year, Jim Deren at the Angler’s Roost encouraged the Bruuns to catch Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi during their driving vacation to Quebec.

Years later when offered the Jackson Hole Guide editor job, Paul’s friend, Lefty Kreh solved a delicate family dilemma that required leaving aging parents and their thriving South Florida newspaper. Lefty reasoned: “Your parents know you love newspapering and the West. Try Jackson for a year. Then you will all know what to do!”

Since that April 1973 relocation, Bruun fashioned a credible Wyoming career that introduced a weekly Outdoors column that he continues (biweekly) in the Jackson Hole News & Guide, established/edited the Jackson Hole Daily, served for 12 years on the Jackson Town Council as the original Fishin’ Politician, guided/outfitted fly fishing float trips for 37 seasons and with partner Ralph Headrick, created the South Fork Skiff, a revolutionary low-profile fiberglass river boat especially for fly fishing.

Cumulation of research, expert information and history from decades of writing columns, articles and demonstrations as well as chronicling extensive guiding and travel activities allowed Bruun to contribute suggestions both to readers as well as fly industry innovators such as SIMMS, Orvis and Patagonia, where he still fulfills dual roles as token XXL and longest tenured Fly Fishing Ambassador. His “Classics” column on the final page of TU’s TROUT magazine highlights historical fly fishing subjects.

Bruun is especially proud of having been designated the Wyoming advisor for the expansion of the Dingell-Johnson Aid to Sport Fishing Act by the sponsoring American Fisheries Society. Introduction of this project to then Wyoming U. S. Senator Malcolm Wallop ultimately resulted in the 1984 Wallop-Breaux Amendment that extended 10% excise tax coverage to imported tackle, marine/navigation equipment and clothing.“I’ve benefitted from extensive help by skilled and generous mentors. Their inspiration encourages me to pass along as much fly fishing and outdoors knowledge in order to leave our precious resources a little better than before.”

Dave Brandt (1944-2020) was born in Oneonta, NY. He was a tool and die designer at Amphenol Corp Bendix Connector Division in nearby Sidney until its closing in 1983. His designs resulted in many patents for the Company.

Dave had a life-long love of fly fishing, tying, and conservation that was greatly influenced by Harry and Elsie Darbee. Dave never did anything halfway and would delve deep into the history of anything that caught his attention be it fly fishing, tying and its materials, conservation, or billiards.

His casting so impressed Joan and Lee Wulff that in 1987 he was invited to be an instructor at their world-famous Fly-Fishing School, where he remained a fixture until his passing more than 30 years later.

Dave’s accomplishments and awards were many: He invented the “Tied and True” hackle gauge, created several new flies such as his BG Dunn, taught classes, made tying DVDs, drew technical illustrations for friends books and wrote a dozen articles under the pseudonym "Brooks Gordon”. In 2004 he became only the 3rd American to be honored with the prestigious Canadian IWL ‘Jack Sutton’ award. Trout Unlimited Chapter 210 officially became the ‘Dave Brandt’ Chapter in 2007, and in 2017 Dave was inducted into CFFCM’s ‘Catskill Legends’.

For more than 30 years Dave, an acknowledged master of Catskill style flies, presented his expertise at most of the major fly-fishing shows, in the States, Canada, and Europe. Onlookers were fascinated with the magic he performed tying wood duck wings on his flawless dries. And in 2018 Dave had a major roll in the movie “Land of Little Rivers,” a fitting finale to a life well spent.

Legendary bamboo rod maker Bob Taylor was inducted into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame in 2019.

Taylor began building rods just out of high school and has spent his life in the craft, with Leonard Rods, with Thomas & Thomas, and on his own. Any time Taylor talks rod building he draws a crowd eager to learn from his experience.

Nathaniel Reed was among the architects of the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, and was instrumental in organizing the first Earth Day. 

On July 3 in Quebec, Mr. Reed fell and struck his head on a rock just  after hooking a 16-pound salmon on one of his favorite rivers, and never regained consciousness. He died eight days later, on July 11, 11  days short of his 85th birthday. 

The New York Times hailed Reed as a “champion of Florida’s environment,” detailing his efforts to prevent a jet port from being built in Big  Cypress Swamp, leading to his work in drafting the Endangered Species Act in 1973. 

Mr. Reed served as an Assistant Interior Secretary from 1971 to 1977  under presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. According to  The Washington Post, he helped preserve millions of acres of wilder ness in Alaska, banned dangerous pesticides and endured death  threats from Western ranchers after he sent federal agents to stop the  widespread killing of federally-protected eagles. 

In 1972, Mr. Reed accompanied Julie Nixon Eisenhower on a tour of  the Everglades, the Post recalled. Two years later, Florida’s Big Cy press National Preserve was established as one of the country’s first  two national preserves. 

Mr. Reed also had roles in the banning of DDT and other chemical  agents dangerous to wildlife and humans. He took steps to preserve  California redwood forests, blocked construction of a jet airport near  Jackson Hole, Wyo., and called for a treaty protecting polar bears from  hunting. 

“I suggest to you that the American dream, based as it is on the concept of unlimited space and resources, has run aground on the natural  limits of the earth,” he wrote in a 1974 essay. “It has foundered on the  shoals of the steadily emerging environmental crisis, a crisis broadly  defined to include not only physical and biographical factors, but the  social consequences that flow from them.”

Born in Oswego, N.Y., Fran's early fascination with fish and fishing began with the waters around Lake Ontario, where much of his fisheries work continues. 

His fly fishing commenced while he was young enough to run a paper route, the proceeds from which going mostly to support his growing  tackle needs. As he was developing as a serious fly rodder, he found  the Delaware River and as a still youthful angler, he spent much time  there, on the Beaverkill and other Catskill waters. 

Graduating from Syracuse University, he did further work in outdoor  education and natural resource management, all while beginning to  earn a living guiding and otherwise working in the fishing world. Fifteen more years of guiding nearly took Fran firmly into the private  sector working in the fishing business. This valuable experience and  his keen natural awareness of the great potential of the Great Lakes  fishery all served him well. He was often called upon to counsel with  the New York DEC on fisheries and natural resource matters. He became a specialist with DEC, leading to his work with the hatchery at Altmar. 

Fran was instrumental in the first dam removal project on any Lake  Ontario tributary. This venture soon proved to be key in restoring valuable Brook Trout spawning habitat to that stream. 

He was responsible for the first "fly fishing only" section on public water in New York in 1989. 

He was the lead person on a comprehensive habitat analysis of lands around Lake Ontario. His efforts as a spokesman for the fish pioneered the teaching of anglers that the big Pacific Salmon that entered the Lake Ontario feeder streams might indeed be taken using tradition al sport fishing methods and tackle. He championed this at a time when many said snagging of these fish be allowed to continue. Fran's ethics and his resolution were ultimately key in the implementation of the "no snagging" regulations in place today, and in providing the great fishing to be found around Lake Ontario today.